Review of "Jacobs Beach"

Those who have followed this blog regularly know that boxing is one sport that I will always choose for a book. This book is one that was earlier published and now being released again with a new foreword and even more details about the influence of organized crime in the sport.  Here is my review of "Jacobs Beach"

Title/Author:

“Jacobs Beach: The Mob, The Garden and the Golden Age of Boxing” by Kevin Mitchell, foreword by Mike Stanton

Tags:

Boxing, professional, crime, history

Publish date:

October 20, 2019

Length:

288 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

It is no secret that at the height of the popularity of boxing, there was a criminal element characters, first Madison Square promoter Mike Jacobs and then the notorious Mob boss Frankie Carbo, also known as “Mr. Gray”, is told in this well-researched book by Kevin Mitchell.

This updated version of the classic mob boxing book contains not only some new material but also some of the most detailed writing that can be found on the sport.  Mitchell relies on stories from the men who were either at the fights or in the spaces such as Toots Shore where deals were made. Some of the most famous boxers were on the take from the Mob as well, from Joe Louis to Jersey Joe Walcott.  They are just two of the fighters whose troubles out of the ring, be them personal or professional, are described in rich detail.

The dealings and actions of the Mob men and their lackeys are just as important to this book – in some cases, even more so and if the reader wants to learn more about the organized crime scene of that time. While the book starts with the dismantling of the ring from the second Madison Square Garden (my favorite story in the entire book) and tells of the power the arena and Jacobs’ influence in the game. This slowly eroded as Carbo became more entrenched and Mitchell takes the reader along into every seedy detail as they controlled more and more fighters.

The book itself is not a breezy read. Instead, it is one that has to be digested slowly and carefully so that the reader does not miss a thing.  Whether one wants to read this for the boxing or the true crime, it is one that is a treasure to include in one’s library.

I wish to thank Hamlicar Publishing for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

Paperback                                                                                                                                        

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Jacobs-Beach-Garden-Golden-Boxing-ebook/dp/B07PYKT676/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://hannibalboxing.com/boxing-books-by-hamilcar-publications/jacobs-beach-the-mob-the-garden-the-golden-age-of-boxing/